The impact of corporate social responsibility on earnings management practices: evidence from Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1073-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murya Habbash ◽  
Lara Haddad

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between earnings management (EM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Saudi Arabia. It is one of only a small number of studies to examine this relationship outside the US market, and the first in the Middle East and Arab region, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses content analysis to extract the CSR disclosure items from annual reports of Saudi firms. A CSR disclosure index was then constructed. For EM, the residuals from Kothari et al.’s (2005) model are considered. Multivariate analysis was performed using pooled OLS-regression models to examine the direct relationship between EM and the CSR index. Findings Using panel data from all Saudi public firms listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) over the 2015-2016 period, the authors find that CSR is positively and significantly related to EM practices as proxied by discretionary accruals. This implies that Saudi firms undertaking CSR actions are more likely to manipulate their earnings. Research limitations/implications The findings of this paper have important policy implications for policy-makers, regulators, auditors and investors in their attempts to constrain EM practices and enhance the quality of financial reporting in Saudi Arabia. Originality/value This paper contributes to the body of accounting literature by providing the first empirical evidence in the Middle East and Arab region on the positive association between EM and CSR in Saudi Arabia.

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousf Almahrog ◽  
Zakaria Ali Aribi ◽  
Thankom Arun

Purpose The paper aims to re-interpret the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in limiting the extreme practices in earnings management (EM) by using evidence from large UK companies. Design/methodology/approach The study has used content analysis and disclosure index to measure the level of CSR. The authors measured EM based on discretionary accruals by using cross-sectional version of the modified Jones model. Findings The findings of this study reveal that companies with a higher commitment to CSR activities are less likely to manage earnings through accruals. Originality/value This study shed more light on the potential impact of CSR on earnings management in the context of the UK. Prior research on the impact of CSR on earnings management has used exclusively CSR scores, provided by CSR score indices. The manual measurement used in this study for CSR (disclosure index/content analysis) is considered to provide a more detailed and precise measure.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 740-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murya Habbash

Purpose This study aims to discover the corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure practices and the potential influence of corporate governance (CG), ownership structure and corporate characteristics in an emerging Arab country, Saudi Arabia. This study extends the extant literature by investigating the drivers of CSR disclosure in a country that lacks research in this area. Design/methodology/approach This study examines 267 annual reports of Saudi Arabian non-financial listed firms during 2007-2011 using manual content and multiple regression analyses and a checklist of 17 CSR disclosure items based on ISO 26000. Findings The analysis finds that the CSR disclosure average is 24 per cent, higher than 14.61 and 16 per cent found by Al-Janadi et al. (2013) and Macarulla and Talalweh (2012) for two Saudi Arabian samples during 2006-2007 and 2008, respectively. This improvement may be due to the application of Saudi CG code in 2007. The analysis also shows that government and family ownership, firm size and firm age are positive determinants of CSR disclosure, firm leverage is a negative determinant and effective AC, board independence, role duality, institutional ownership, firm profitability and industry type are found not to be determinants of CSR disclosure. Originality/value This study is important because it uses the agency theory to ascertain the influence of specific board characteristics and ownership structures on disclosure. As a result, it provides important implications for CG regulators and different stakeholders and provides an evaluation of the recently applied Saudi CG code from the CSR disclosure perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emna Miladi ◽  
Jamel Chouaibi

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and earnings management (EM) in US commercial banks and examines whether the chief executive officer (CEO) power can moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach For a sample of American commercial banks covering 2009–2018, several equations and regressions are used to measure the main proxies for bank EM. The authors use the fixed effects model and generalized method of moment to investigate the CSR–EM relationship. Findings The authors find a significant positive relation between CSR and EM. Moreover, the authors find that CEO power moderates the CSR–EM relationship. This study also suggests a bidirectional relationship between CSR and EM. Research limitations/implications The findings of this paper have important policy implications for policymakers, regulators and investors in their attempts to constrain EM practices and enhance the quality of financial reporting in US commercial banks. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by exploring the relationship between CSR practices and firm EM by particularly focusing on banking. This study offers new insights into whether the association between CSR practices and EM is moderated by the CEO power. To the best of the knowledge, the relationship between CSR and EM is not studied yet with the moderating role of CEO power.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eko Suyono ◽  
Omar Al Farooque

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influences of corporate governance mechanisms on earnings management practices and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure, at the manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The authors consider the moderating effect of earnings management on the relationship between governance mechanisms and CSR. Design/methodology/approach Insights are drawn from five years company data generated between 2010 and 2014, thus covering a five-year period. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis is applied to test the hypotheses developed. Finding OLS regression results indicate that institutional ownership, managerial ownership and independent boards have a significant deterrent effect on earnings management, while institutional ownership and board of directors have significant positive impact on CSR. Moreover, OLS results reveal a strong moderation effect of earnings management and a positive link between governance and CSR. Originality/value These findings have significant policy implications for public policy, regulatory bodies, companies and other stakeholders including the investors in Indonesia. Insights from this study will help to shape and implement an optimal governance system that can address the problem of earnings management and CSR initiatives in Indonesian companies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 293
Author(s):  
Alit Wahyuningsih ◽  
Ni Ketut Rasmini

ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh bukti empiris mengenai pengaruh pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility pada manajemen laba dengan keberadaan wanita dalam mekanisme Good Corporate Governance sebagai variabel moderasi. Metode penentuan sampel yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling dengan kriteria perusahaan yang terdaftar dalam indeks LQ45 di Bursa Efek Indonesia dan menerbitkan laporan tahunan serta laporan keberlanjutan (sustainability report) berturut-turut selama periode 2013-2017. Jumlah sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 40 sampel. Metode dokumentasi digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan yaitu Moderated Regression Analysis. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility berpengaruh positif pada manajemen laba. Keberadaan wanita dalam komite audit yang mewakili proksi dari variabel keberadaan wanita dalam mekanisme Good Corporate Governance mampu memperlemah pengaruh pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility pada manajemen laba. Hasil penelitian ini sejalan dengan teori hipotesis biaya politik yang menyatakan bahwa perusahaan yang memiliki biaya politik yang tinggi cenderung akan melakukan manajemen laba. Kata Kunci: manajemen laba, pengungkapan corporate social responsibility, good corporate governance


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis E. Dimitropoulos

Purpose Over the past decades, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been considered as a significant corporate strategy and also has been documented as a main information dissemination mechanism of corporations to shareholders, creditors and other external stakeholders. This fact makes the CSR activities and CSR performance interconnected with the quality of firms’ financial reporting. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of CSR performance on the earnings management (EM) behaviour using a sample from 24 European Union (EU) countries summing up to 121,154 firm-year observations over the period 2003–2018. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a multi-country data set with various dimensions of CSR performance including indexes regarding workforce, community relations, product responsibility and human rights protection. The empirical analysis is conducted with panel data regressions. Findings Evidence supports the negative association between CSR and EM indicating that high CSR performing firms are associated with less income smoothing and discretionary accruals, thus with higher financial reporting quality. Practical implications Regulatory agencies in the EU could use the findings of the study for the improvement of the accounting framework via enhancing the use and publications of social and environmental responsibility information and reports. Social implications Also, the current paper could be of interest not only to academic researchers but also to potential and existing investors in European corporations. The negative association between CSR performance and EM could be used by investors in assessing the risk of firms and the quality and reliability of their financial information. Originality/value This is the first study within the EU, which considers the multi-facet characteristics of CSR on the quality of accounting earnings and offers useful policy implications for regulators and investors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Hadi Ibrahim ◽  
Mustafa Mohd Hanefah

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of board diversity characteristics, namely, independence, gender, age and nationality of directors on the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis was used to determine CSR disclosure. This study used panel data analysis to investigate the influence of board diversity characteristics on CSR disclosures. Findings Panel data analysis show that the level of CSR disclosure has increased over the period of study. Results also reveal a positive and significant association between the level of CSR disclosure and board diversity variables. Research limitations/implications This study examined only companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange. Therefore, the generalisation of the results might be limited to the listed companies only. Practical implications Findings are relevant to policymakers, professional organisations and practitioners in Jordan and in other Arab countries. Social implications The role of women in the boardroom is important to ensure more CSR activities by the listed companies. Jordan being a Muslim country should take the initiative to introduce laws to increase the number of women to the board. Originality/value This study offers significant contributions to existing CSR literature in Jordan and in other Arab countries by introducing female directors. Findings are important to policymakers. They should implement quotas for women in the boardroom, and adopting such a policy will increase the participation of women in the decision-making process of the companies and reduce gender bias.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agung Nur Probohudono ◽  
Astri Nugraheni ◽  
An Nurrahmawati

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure on the financial performance of Islamic banks across nine countries as major markets that contribute to international Islamic bank assets (Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain and Pakistan or further will be called QISMUT + 3 countries). Design/methodology/approach Islamic Social Reporting Disclosure Index (ISRDI) is being used as a benchmark for Islamic bank CSR performance that contains a compilation of CSR standard items specified by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions. The secondary data is collected from the respective bank’s annual reports and it used the regression analysis techniques for statistical testing. Findings This study found that CSR disclosure measured by ISRDI has a positive effect on financial performance. Almost all ISRDI sub-major categories have a positive effect on financial performance except the “environment” subcategory. The highest major subcategory for ISRDI is the “corporate governance” category (82%) and the “environment” category (13%) is the lowest. For the UAE, Kuwait and Turkey, the ISRDI is positively affected by financial performance and the other countries on this research are not. Originality/value This study highlighted the economic benefits of social responsibility practices as a part of business ethics in nine countries that uphold the value of religiosity. Thus, the development of the results of this research for subsequent research is very wide open.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petek Tosun

Purpose Coffee is among the primary products that attract the public attention to the social and environmental responsibilities of companies. Coffee shops have a big carbon footprint because of their daily operations. With the rising consciousness about sustainability in developing countries, online disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important for not only multinational but also local coffee chains. The purpose of this study is to analyze the extent to which coffee chains include CSR on their websites. Design/methodology/approach Turkey, which is a large emerging economy with an expanding coffee chain market, is selected as the research context. The CSR disclosure on the websites of coffee chains is examined by content analysis according to CSR dimensions. A sample of 27 coffee chains with more than ten stores is included in the analysis. Findings Foreign coffee chains disclose more information on the environment and fair trade than local coffee chains. On the other hand, CSR content in websites of foreign and local coffee chains does not differ significantly in human resources and community dimensions. Foreign coffee chains have comparatively longer brand history, more rooted brands and larger networks than local coffee chains. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first that used a content analysis about CSR on the websites of coffee chains in Turkey. Findings contribute to the understanding of CSR disclosure in the coffee chain industry and can be beneficial for researchers and managers in other emerging markets.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-688
Author(s):  
Juniati Gunawan ◽  
SeTin SeTin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze accounting research developments in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Indonesia for the period 2012-2016. The focus of CSR literature review is on disclosures and not to examine CSR activities or programs. Design/methodology/approach This study applied a descriptive approach to provide evidence on the major variables that have been examined in CSR research and what is the measurement used to measure CSR disclosures. The CSR research development was traced through mapping articles published in the international journal with the subject of category accounting (Schimago Journal rank quartile Q3 and Q4), and national journal (national accredited accounting journals, as well as the proceedings of National Symposium on Accounting [NSA]). A total of 5,971 articles were reviewed and resulted in 31 Indonesian CSR articles in accounting which are dominated by quantitative methods (93.5 per cent), and as many as 28 articles were analyzed. Findings The analyses result showed that (1) 75 per cent of CSR research were in the areas of financial accounting and capital markets, followed by tax accounting and corporate governance; (2) The most widely used variable associated with CSR was financial performance; which (3) More than 80 per cent of the CSR research used annual reports as the source of data with only 19.23 per cent using sustainability reports; (4) 65.38 per cent of the CSR disclosure measurement referred to used other CSR disclosure lists, other than the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Research limitations/implications The study results are important as a basis for future studies to provide a platform for the analysis to cover the gap between CSR studies in the academic and business areas for not only Indonesia but also other countries. Comparative studies between countries will be essential for future research to provide empirical evidence on the development of CSR research in accounting fields. Practical implications The study provides comprehensive pictures in how CSR disclosures have been analyzed in academic area so that practitioners in business field are able to understand the results on which variables are associated with CSR. Further, the practitioners could enhance their CSR implementations and reports to gain the utmost benefits for their business. Originality/value This study is considered as the first CSR literature review analyzed in accounting research publications. As CSR topics have been emerging developed in many field of studies, reviewing this topic in the accounting area resulted interesting findings. These findings are useful for not only Indonesia but also other countries. Further, this study provides platform to fill many gaps for future research in the topic of CSR in accounting field.


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